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Sports

Softball

Softball Lead

This page draws together softball-related information for all of Special Olympics. The coaching materials and other links will help you get a good sense of how this sport contributes to Special Olympics.

Descendant of Baseball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. Every team aims in scoring as many runs possible, against the opponents by striking the ball with a specific bat. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand. The game is played on a smaller diamond than in baseball and despite the game's name, the standard softball is not soft; in fact, it is harder than a baseball.

Male softball player preparing to throw the ball.

Softball Coaching Resources

Coaching guide, rules and other materials for coaches.

Additional Coaching Resources

General Coaching Information

How to become an excellent Special Olympics coach: videos, brochures and more covering coaching basics

General Sport Resources

Basic resources and information Special Olympics coaches need to be successful, including Sports Article 1, rules, fact sheets, materials on CD and DVD, quizzes and event-management guides.

All Sport Resources

Get rules, fact sheets, coaching guides, quizzes broken out for each sport, plus comprehensive information on coach development, athlete development and Unified Sports.